Coke stoker feed



' 0a. 20, 1942. w. c. JOLLY 2,299,394

COKE STOKERVFEEDS Filed March 18, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 20, 1942. w. c. JOLLY 2,299,394

' COKE STOKER FEEDS Filed March 18, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 j/vvs/v TOP MAL/4M C. JOLL);

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J7- 70 P/VE V5 Oct. 20, 1942. w. c. JOLLY 2,299,394

COKE STOKER FEEDS Filed March 18,- 1940 3'Sheets-Sheet 3 JAN/[N 7-0 MAL/4M C J04 L); fir

J7- Top/V5145 Patented Oct. 20, 1942 UNITED STTES COKE STOKE-R FEED William C. Jolly, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application March 18, 1940, Serial No. 324,489

3 Claims.

This invention relates to means for conveying coke and the like through an automatic stoker and has for a primary object the provision of means that will cause positive feeding of the coke in the absence of any pushing medium, such as a screw or ram type conveyor, whereby a minimum amount of power is required and at the same time no compacting of the coke is had.

A still further important object of the invention is to provide means for feeding the coke from a large volume thereof in such manner that there will be no tendency for the coke to arch over in that volume and prevent further feeding therefrom as often happens Where coke is piled in a hopper or bin. A still further important object of the invention is to provide means for rearranging the position of the particles of coke as it is carried along in the feeding mechanism so that any unduly large particles are rocked into some such position as to prevent these particles from becoming wedged in delivery openings and the like.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention, such as an extremely simple construction permitting a relatively low cost of production, great reliability, and the like, will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of one particular form of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation in partial section of a stoker unit embodying the invention;

Fig. 2, a detail in section on the line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a side elevation of the hopper end of the stoker;

Fig. 4, a top plan view of the hopper;

Fig. 5, a rear elevation in partial section of the stoker; and

Fig. 6, a front elevation in partial section of the right-hand side of the front end of the stok-er.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, a suitable framework, generally designated by the numeral I0, is formed to carry principally therewithin the hopper ll. This hopper is of generally inverted pyramidal shape to have an upper opening therein of considerable area and a lower discharge opening of greatly reduced area, the four walls of the hopper sloping to that discharge opening.

A feeding roll I2 is positioned transversely across the discharge opening of the hopper I l and carried on the shaft 13. This roll I2 is provided with a plurality of ribs l4 extending longitudi- GFFICE'.

nally thereacross in substantial parallel alignment with the axis of the shaft [3. The roll [2 is positioned to be at the rear lower edge of the discharge opening of the hopper and to extend forwardly thereof to leave an opening between its front side and the lower edge l5 of the forward downwardly sloping wall of the hopper floor. This opening between the edge l5 and the roll H2 is variable in extent depending upon the size of the fuel or coke that is being used. To vary the size of this opening, a plate It is carried on that sloping wall of the floor to extend rearwardly beyond the edge 55 a distance desired, the plate l 6 being adjustably carried by means of the bolts or studs ll extending through slots in the plate l6 and fixed in the hopper floor member.

Plates l8 and i9 are provided to lie against the opposite side walls of the hopper ll as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. These plates i8 and 19 are rockably secured to those inclined side Walls of the hopper by any suitable means, such as the bolts 20 and 2 l As indicated in Fig. 4, these supporting bolts forming pivots are positioned forwardly of the central vertical axis of each plate as shown, for example, in reference to the plate l8 where the bolt 26 is located near the top edge of the plate It so that the plate normally tends to drop from the solid line position downwardly to assume the dash line position, the offset location of the pivot bolt confining the plate in each case to this travel.

Pins 22 and 23 respectively extend through slots 2 in the side Walls of the hopper II from the respective plates l8 and I9. These pins 22 and 23 have connected thereto respectively the connecting rods 25 and 26 which are in turn connected to crank pins on the cranks 21 and 23 that are fixed to the transverse shaft 29 carried by the frame it] at the rear of the hopper H. The crank pins on the cranks 2i and 28 are lo- 'cated substantially degrees apart. By turning the shaft 29, the plates I8 and [9 are given a reciprocatory action in opposite directions in respect to each other. As indicated in Figs. 4 and 5,

' these plates I 8 and I3 cover substantially the entire areas of the inclined floor members thereunder, the areas of the plates l8 and 19 being reduced therefrom only enough to permit that reciprocating action as above indicated. The throw of the cranks 21 and 28 is not large but only sufficient to rock these plates l8 and I9 sufiiciently to shake loose any coke in the hopper that might have a tendency to arch over and above the discharge opening between the roll [2 and the edge of the plate It.

Below the roll l2 at a slight distance is an endless conveyor belt 32 carried about a lower adjusting pulley 33 and extending upwardly and forwardly therefrom in an inclined manner to enter over rollers 34 and 35 into a box 36 extending forwardly from the frame ID to traverse that box 36 longitudinally substantially horizontally thereof and pass around a belt driving pulley 31 that is carried on a shaft 38. This shaft 33 is driven by a gear 39 through a worm 40 on the shaft 4! that is in turn driven by an electric motor 42 through suitable speed reduction means, herein shown as a belt 43 passing around a motor pulley 44 and a larger pulley 45 on a jackshaft 46, this shaft 46 in turn driving the shaft 4| through the chain 41.

The belt 32 is driven by the motor 42 in that direction which will carry the upper side of the belt upwardly and forwardly. The lower belt pulley 33 is mounted on the shaft 43 that extends outwardly through the adjusting block 49 for belt tightening. A chain is driven by the shaft 49 to drive a sprocket 5! fixed on the shaft 29. Thus it is to be seen that the plates l8 and I9 are'rocked and that the feed roll l2'is turned by the motor 42 through the belt 32.

When the belt 32 is running, the plates l8 and I9 are. reciprocating to shake loose coke in the hopper II and the roll 12 is turning in a counterclockwise direction, Fig. 3. This causes coke to drop down through the opening forwardly of the roll l2 and the rear of the plate 16 onto the belt 32. 'The surface of this belt 32 is preferably roughened and is in the nature of crepe rubber so that there will be no tendency of th coke to slide downwardly as the belt 32 carries it upwardly. Fuel engaging projections 31 may be used on the plates l8 and I 9.

The coke dropping onto the belt 32 i separated, one particle from another in general, and will come to rest on the belt in accordance with the shape of that particle. Sometimes a coke particle will have a fiat face on which the particle rests on the belt 32 and will have its major dimension extend upwardly from that face with the result that the particle will project a considerable distance above the belt. ;Since all of the coke carried by the belt 32 must traverse through a relatively small passageway through the box 36 'in order to be conveyed into the furnace through the usual fire box door (not shown), this upstanding particle might become jammed in reaching that narrow passageway. In order a tion, such means consists of one or more coil springs 52, herein shown as two in number, fixed by their ends between side walls that extend upwardly on each side of the belt 32, these springs 52 being spaced a distance above the belt 32 to permit normal sized particles to travel thereunder without interference by the springs but to cause abnormal sizes of coke particles to strike those springs and thereby be rocked over as the belt tends to carry the particles thereunder. Sometimes it happens that there is a second particle immediately behind that larger particle that requires overturning so that resistance is set up to the turnin action. Since the spring are resilient and will yield under that condition, the particles will eventually be flipped over in any event, without in any way tending to wedge against the belt 32 or cause damage thereto.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the one particular form, it is obvious that structural changes may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention and I, therefore, do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a stoker, a fuel hopper having opposite sides inclined inwardly and, downwardly toward a discharge opening,'a fuel supporting plate on the inner face of each of said sides and substantially co-extensive and in contact therewith and eccentrically pivoted thereto, and means externally of the hopper connecting through the hopper sides with the plates for rocking the plates on their pivots over their respective hopper sides in parallelism therewith.

2. In a stoker, a fuel hopper having opposite sides inclined inwardly and downwardly toward a discharge opening, a fuel supporting plate on the inner face of each of said sides and substantially co-extensive and in contact therewith and pivoted thereto, and means externally of the hopper connecting through the hopper sides with the plates for rocking the plates on their pivots over their respective hopper sides in parallelism therewith, said plates each being pivoted near an upper corner removed from a central plate axis.

3. In a stoker, a fuel hopper having opposite sides inclined inwardly and downwardly toward a, discharge opening, a fuel supporting plate on the inner face of each of said sides and substantially co-extensive and in contact therewith and pivoted thereto, and means externally of the hopper connecting through the hop-per sides with the plates for rocking the plates on their pivots over their respective hopper sides in parallelism therewith, said plates each being pivoted near an upper corner removed from a central plate axis, said rocking means being formed to rock the plates in opposite directions.

WILLIAM C. JOLLY. 

